Friday, July 10, 2009

My Fifteen Minutes (okay maybe forty)



I finally have time to write down the saga....

Wednesday night we were interviewed by Channel 6 news and met Karl the awesome videographer (found out he is a musician too). I wanted to decline the interview, but instead found myself listening to, "Okay don't look at the camera, just look at me, what is your name and how do you spell it?" I still haven't seen the tape but my sister says I actually spoke some coherent words.

The next day we met again to rehearse, have some video taken, and then load up for the Common Ground Music Festival.

After a very strange vehicle procession of three cars trying to stay together, lost parking passes and the assurance that we could "talk ourselves in", we finally made it to the grounds, and unbelievably talked ourselves in! Apparently an SUV filled with amps, guitars and music stands was enough to fool the security guards.

Except...one band member, stranded at the Saginaw gate and not allowed to come in. I have to say that I will take full credit for rescuing him (commandeering a security golf cart and rushing out to get him while fielding frantic phone calls from the stage saying, "where are you? where's Greg? we're doing the sound check NOW!" )

I may also have to take full credit for getting him stuck out there in the first place, but let's not dwell on the negative...

I ended up going onstage, grabbing a crewhand (they were so great) and pointed out my rig, "I have the 1x12, the 2x10, and this amp. I have to go retrieve a lost bandmate, can you just set it up for me?"
He was on it.
I was on it.
I plucked two credentials passes from Thom and dashed off to save the day.

Finally, we were on stage for the sound check, and did all that jazz. I had my camera with me, and decided to forego the cool rockstar persona in favor of waving wildly whenever I saw a friend in the audience and snapping pictures of them, the sound people, the stage, the gathering crowd, the rafters of the hugongous stage...I was a geek. At one point I accidentally stepped on Greg's guitar pedal and something very very bad happened. A very very loud, very very bad sound reverberated through the echoing canyon of a spectator area. I quickly shut it off and made my sad worried face at Greg but he just shrugged and said supportively, "Glad I didn't do that."



I was also texting my yaya and suddenly looked down to see a picture of them on my phone, standing next to the Common Ground sign. The text said, "Do you really think your yaya would miss this??" They came. Diane from Georgia, swooping in and gathering up Joann so that at this very cool moment we could all be together.

Sorta.
I had to get back to the sound stuff and oh yeah I had a set to do!

But first, supper.

We went to this big tent with a huge spread of all sorts of free stuff to eat. I love free food.
I was standing undecidedly by the drink table when this girl comes up to me and says, "Where's the water?" She had a little ponytail, no makeup, jogging shorts, and looked like she really needed some water. I shrugged, "I don't know," I said. She gestured to the igloo container on the table and said, "Is that water?" I said, "No I think that's fruit punch or something."

And thus ends my entire conversation with Sheryl Crow.
Memorable.

Only I didn't know it was Sheryl Crow at the time.
Thus my stunning repartee.

Sheryl Crow has long blond hair in ringlets.
And she's tall and glamorous.
She's not tiny and cute and regular looking.

Only she is.

Keeping in mind that I had no idea who had just asked me for water, I went to sit down with my bandmates in order to poke my salmon, push my sweet potato slices around on my plate, and gnaw on the pineapple upside down cake, feeling slightly ill but in a good, probably-not-going-to-throw-up kind of way.

I glanced over at the table next to us and then whispered to Jon, "Hey, I think that's Sheryl Crow's bassist." I had done my research and checked him out on her website before the gig. "Yeah, probably so," he says, noting that Sheryl Crow is sitting right next to the guy...

Yes, I saw the tiny ponytail girl sitting there, but I didn't connect the dots.

Later in the dressing room Jon would say, "You mean you recognized Sheryl Crow's bassist but you didn't recognize Sheryl Crow?"

Yes, that would be me, over here in the dork corner.


Speaking of the dressing room, oh my goodness there was a dressing room!
More free food. Free snacks!
Just lead me to the tiny Snickers, the cold bottled water and the soda my dahlings...

I was just standing there enjoying the moment, when another band entered the trailer. They had a room on the other side and we shared the common room. Only they weren't hunkered over the free food panting and fanning themselves, they were solely intent on primping.

And primp they did. I looked down at my outfit, which I had thought fairly stylish and watched the girl singer talk about how she needed TWO HOURS to do her hair and makeup. She had a miniskirt and really long boots and really long hair. She had two girlfriends hovering over her with mascara wands and curling irons.

I had fanned my armpits, lined my eyes and dusted my face with powder to get rid of shine.
Yes, stylin.

Anyway, we dashed out the door and they wished us good luck while adding a couple of extra feet to their already amazingly extended eyelashes. I think I felt one brush my back as I tottered out the door in my sensible shoes.

Well I could go on and on.

Anyway, we played the set and it was amazing - the crowd was so great - the drummers played their heads off (pun intended), we all smiled and just enjoyed the vastness of the moment. It was over way way way too quickly.

After the gig it was so great to be able to pull my yaya backstage for a few minutes, and then to just hang out with the band - enjoying some of Sheryl's show, staying too long at IHOP to just wind down (and to get some food, I was suddenly starving, and kept worrying that my platter would not be large enough,) but oh, viva la french toast it was GOOD at 1am!!

Some of the band members...I have no idea why they are holding shorts.


My yaya...



The entire day was so so so good.
One that I will not likely forget very soon.

My favorite part?

All of the well wishes from friends and family, and those amazing people who actually spent their hard-earned money on tickets for this event!

Wow, talk about cool.
Now THAT's cool.

I'm feelin' the love.


peace!

*
For more pics, go here
or visit my facebook profile!

8 comments:

mrc-w said...

You were awesome!!! Rock star!!! And you should mention that you met David Cook and you knew who he was when you met him! :)

Kulio said...

mrc-w....thanks so much...except, the did NOT recognize him, Joann pointed him out to me and had to tell me which one he was, etc....haha. Glad you were there.

Karaeleanor said...

ha ha I love this post!!

Beth said...

Oh. My. Gosh! I've been thinking about this gig! I wish I could have been there. It sounds like everything went swimmingly.

And so awesome that your Yaya could be there. I especially love the picture of you at the end. That is some kind of happiness!

Diane said...

Yes - that last photo is priceless. Totally priceless.

Joann looks gorgeous in HER yaya photo - I look like a wierd geek who has never seen Pepsi and is slightly giddy with it!

I LOVE that you recognized Sheryl's bassist and not her. It's you.

You seemed to be having fun up there, which is GREAT. I was really hoping that you'd enjoy the moment and not be too nervous and you really did.

You shone.

(hope that's the right verb tense.)

Diane said...

Now I'm thinking it should have been 'you shined'.

You get the idea.

Michelle said...

Wow. WOW. WOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
You looked fabulous and I'm so happy for you.
Rock on!

Heidi Lee said...

GREAT picture of you at the end. Loved that one!
Wonderful description of the entire night. Sorry I couldn't be there.
I am super proud of you.
And I love you!